


Ignite

by tz451



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Implied Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-18 11:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2346950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tz451/pseuds/tz451
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work involves fire, implied character death, and use of alcohol/cigarettes. If any of these are triggering in any way, please do not read this!</p>
    </blockquote>





	Ignite

**Author's Note:**

> This work involves fire, implied character death, and use of alcohol/cigarettes. If any of these are triggering in any way, please do not read this!

Ignite. He lights his cigarette, sitting casually on the couch. The room is dark, blinds drawn tightly to block out the streetlamps. He likes to think that when it is dark he can’t see the damage; he deludes himself into thinking he isn’t able to make out the smashed plates littering the kitchen floor, or the upturned furniture, the picture frames broken like the people displayed inside of them. In the dark, he tells himself he can’t make out the body of his blonde lover, whose pale skin and light hair are a painful contrast to the dark night.  
He takes a swig of vodka. It burns its way down his throat, but he barely feels it. Unlike the corpse lying in the kitchen, he blends in with the dark night. His jet-black hair stands up as always, teased in his trademark manner. His dark skin provides the perfect camouflage. No matter how many times he tells himself that he can’t see in the dark, every single blink has his dark eyes staring at the scene stamped on the back of his eyelids.  
The ash from his cigarette falls onto his pants, but he doesn’t notice. His eyes are trained on the lighter by his side, studying it intently. It is truly a work of art, made of stainless steel encased in leather. The blonde had given it to him just last week, after witnessing Zayn cursing yet another disposable for breaking again.  
He takes another swig of burning alcohol as he wonders how things got so ugly so fast.  
The pain of the dying cigarette against his fingers brings him back to reality. He lets it fall carelessly, getting up and dragging himself into the bathroom.  
Without bothering to turn on the lights, he stares into the mirror. Illuminated by a narrow strip of window high on the wall, he almost doesn’t see the dark blotch under his jaw. He wipes at it with his palm, but it doesn’t budge. His eyes widen in shock when he realizes that it’s blood. Niall’s blood.  
He rushes back into the living room and snatches his bottle from the couch. He sees the cigarette starting to singe the blanket he had draped over the couch, but disregards it- he can always buy another one, and putting it out is not worth his effort right now.  
Bringing the bottle to his lips, he drinks deeply. As if in a daze, he pivots and stares at Niall’s lifeless body. Taking another deep gulp, he ambles over to it, stumbling over his own feet. He sits down, careful to avoid the blood on the floor. His shaking hand moves to stroke Niall’s unmoving face, trembling as it moves to run through his shiny blonde hair. As he reaches the back of Niall’s head, he yanks his hand back. He had reached the blood matting his hair, staining the vibrant yellow to a sickly red.  
He takes another drink before a cry of anguish bursts from his throat. He had killed him; he had extinguished the light that had come and ignited his darkness. He gathers Niall’s body in his arms. He clutches it like a lifeline, ignoring the chill clinging to the pale skin. He screams his pain to the world, blinded by the tears swimming in his eyes.  
His love, the light of his life is gone, and it is his fault. He buries his face in Niall’s sweater-clad chest. His nose is assaulted with Niall’s scent, causing him to sob even harder. His eyes travel up to Niall’s face. Light dances along his blue-tinted face, and Zayn remember the way light used to sparkle in his eyes.  
Those eyes will never sparkle again. The chest that his head had occupied so frequently will never rise again. The heart whose beat he valued most will never pulse again. He was the one who had done this. He is unworthy of even touching what was left of the angel in his arms. He sets Niall down and backs away from the body.  
He spins towards the couch to grab his abandoned lighter when he sees the source of the light that had danced so beautifully over Niall's skin. Zayn’s blurry eyes focus on the inferno and he immediately goes to grab Niall.  
His inebriated state makes coordination difficult. He trips over his own feet and goes sprawling, dropping Niall with a thud.  
He frantically looks at the fire, which is spreading fast. Eyes stinging from smoke and tears, he glances around desperately for another exit. The window blinds are on fire, and the couch blocks any paths to the door. Grabbing Niall’s arms, he drags him into the bathroom. The smoke fills his lungs, causing him to double over before forcing himself to straighten and focus at the task at hand. He stares up at the window. He can crawl through it, however it is much too high and narrow to lift Niall through it, especially in his weakened state.  
He can’t leave Niall behind. The air is getting heavier each second. He stands on the edge of the tub and gulps air from the window before leaning over and slamming the door shut. He sends up a quick prayer that the door will prevent some of the flames and fumes from entering before pushing towels into the cracks. He pushes Niall into the bathtub, takes another quick breath from the window, and crawls in after him.  
His already foggy mind slows even more due to lack of oxygen. He is unable to breathe, gulping air frantically. As the bottom of the door catches fire, he lies on top of his lovers’ corpse to protect it. Ash drifts onto him as his vision narrows. His mind goes blank and his eyes slide shut as the fire ignites the space around them.


End file.
